Markussen picks Kessler to beat Magee; Holm vs. Prazak

Rudy Markussen (37-3, 24 KOs) will face Daniel Regi (16-7, 8 KOs) in his comeback bout on Saturday night at Jyske Bank BOXEN. The Hardhitter was originally scheduled to take on Ferenc Hafner, but the Hungarian pulled out on short notice due to an eye injury. “I am ready to beat whoever steps into the ring with me,“ said Markussen. I have a lot to prove. I´ve really had a good preparation, it has been a long one, since the summer, I am feeling really sharp and I´m ready to prove that I can still do it.”

Markussen said he was still upset about losing to Magee in their clash in February. “It´s sad for a boxer to lose like that,“ he stated. “It was my dream fight and I still think I could have beaten Magee. I am very sad about how things turned out.”

While Markussen starts his comeback on Saturday, Magee will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) Super-Middleweight Title against Mikkel Kessler. “I definitely think that Mikkel is going to win but he should not underestimate Magee,“ Markussen said. “Magee is a clever boxer. Against me, he walked backwards, but I think on Saturday he will jump right at Mikkel. I spoke to Mikkel about this fight and I gave him some advice. He needs to fight smart, use his long jab and his skills and move around. I think if he does that and doesn´t start fighting with Magee, I think he will stop him in the fifth or sixth round.”

Tickets for the Nordic Fight Night at Jyske Bank BOXEN can be purchased at www.billetnet.dk.

Prazak Ready To Take On Holm For WBF World Title

Originally slated to challenge then champion Myriam Lamare for the World Boxing Federation World Light Welterweight title, Pound-For-Pound Number-One Holly Holm is now set to take on Australian Diana Prazak for the vacant championship on December 7 at the Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Holm, 31-2-3 (9), the reigning WBF Women’s World Champion at Welterweight, was moving down in weight to make a true super-fight with Lamare, but the Frenchman pulled out citing a shoulder injury, and Prazak, 11-1 (7), willingly stepped in to secure a stern challenge for Holm with the vacant title on the line.

“Lamare sent us X-rays and medical records of her injured shoulder,” explained promoter Lenny Fresquez. “It’s frustrating because we’ve already spent a lot of money promoting Holm vs. Lamare, but we’re fortunate to have a great fighter like Diana Prazak step-up to fight the best Pound-For-Pound women’s fighter in the world, Holly Holm. Diana deserves a lot of credit for accepting that big challenge and I know she’s coming to pull off an upset of Holly.”

Diana Prazak lost her pro debut in 2010, but has since defeated every opponent put in front of her. In 2011 she captured the Australian National title at Light Welterweight, but later that year she moved down to Super Featherweight to win a world title by stopping tough Canadian Lindsay Garbatt.

Prazak successfully defended her world championship this past April with a shutout unanimous decision over Kenyan Fatuma Zarika, and, now trained by the great Lucia Rijker in new hometown Los Angeles, she feels ready to return to Light Welterweight against arguably the best female boxer on the planet:

“I’m a determined fighter. I have fought at 130-135-pounds; however, I walk around at 145. I will feel much stronger at 140 because I don’t have to starve myself. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to work with some great champions, not to mention the rounds I get in with my trainer, Lucia Rijker”, said Prazak.

“If I can get punched by the most dangerous women in the world, I most definitely do not have any concerns about being hit by girls in other weight classes.”

And Prazak is not fazed by the thought of fighting in the backyard of “The Preachers Daughter”, where sold-out crowds of around three-thousand are a regular occurrence, saying:

“I think it’s great that she has such great hometown support. Three-thousand people are great. My dream is for myself and for other women fighters to fight for crowds of 30,000. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the victory, is my mantra.”

“Fire & Ice”, Holly Holm vs. Diana Prazak for the vacant World Boxing Federation Women’s World Light Welterweight title at the Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday December 7, will be promoted by Fresquez Productions.

www.worldboxingfederation.net

Clash to savour as Germany face USA

Lausanne, Switzerland, 04 December 2012 – The German Eagles will be riding high after their last fixture when they battled back from 2-1 down to win against a tough Ukraine Otamans side. This Friday 7 December (20:00 local time), the German outfit will once again seek to make home advantage count in Group A when they host an intriguing USA Knockouts line-up at the EWS Arena in Göppingen. The hosts will be banking on the quality of Veaceslav Gojan, Serge Michel and 2011 AIBA World Championships bronze medallist Erik Pfeifer to make the difference on the night.

In the night’s opening contest, Bantamweights (50-54kg) Gojan of German Eagles and the Knockouts’ American World Series of Boxing (WSB) debutant Shawn Simpson will do battle. After his scintillating performance in week one, when he defeated former teammate Vincenzo Picardi, the experienced 29-year-old orthodox Moldovan Gojan should have the measure of his opponent.

Next up will be the Lightweight (57-61kg) showdown between promising German talent Kastriot Sopa and orthodox Texan Eric ‘Fearless’ Fowler. Sopa has won several National Youth Championships and many within the Eagles’ squad expect him to come of age this season. The USA Knockouts’ Fowler is now in his third WSB season, with nine bouts to his name, so will represent a stern challenge for the 20-year-old German.

Fowler was bullish about his fight, declaring, “I feel great, been training really hard over the past few weeks. Went back to my hometown of Houston, Texas, and got back to the basics, which included great sparring. Every fighter within the WSB is a great opponent, so facing Kastriot Sopa is just another day at the office for me. I feel strong going into this fight, a lot better than the first week and hope to put on a great show for everyone, including the US Military that are stationed out in Germany”.

22-year-old Xhek Paskali is another promising German coming through the ranks but in his first WSB outing in week two, the Middleweight (68-73kg) struggled to contain his rival. This time around, he will hope to have learnt a great deal from his first foray in the competition when he is pitted against the Knockouts’ William Williams. The American was hailed as the next big thing when he made his breakthrough three years ago but his career has not yet taken off. This contest will be an intriguing one with it being vital for both boxers to make their mark.

Serge Michel, who defeated 2011 WSB Light Heavyweight (80-85kg) Champion Abdelhafid Benchabla in his first appearance for the Eagles, will be charged with taking down the threat posed by one of the competition’s heavy-hitters, Swedish southpaw Kennedy Katende. The 24-year-old German will be looking to use the element of surprise against his savvy opponent, with the objective being to claim another famous scalp. The unpredictable Katende is the outstanding boxer in the Knockouts’ squad and he will want to lead his troops by example.

Box office Heavyweight (91+kg) Pfeifer will then bring the show to a close when he locks horns with the visitors’ tall Hungarian 23-year-old Istvan Bernath. The German orthodox fighter delighted the crowds when he last took to the ring with a classy TKO victory, and now the fans at the EWS Arena will be hoping for more of the same. Bernath however is a strong fighter who can beat anyone on his day.

London 2012 Olympian Pfeifer told us, “I watched a few of Bernath’s fights online and I was impressed. It also gave me the opportunity to devise my tactical plan for the bout. I am feeling in great shape and the video analysis also helped me focus, I feel well prepared for this season”. On the opposing team, he added, “The USA Knockouts have travelled with a strong team but we do not fear them, in fact we are relishing this encounter”.

Tickets are still available for this event and with the German Eagles always certain to put on a great show; this is one that should not be missed. To purchase seats, click HERE.